


The Missing Alchemist

by sbuggbot



Category: SteamWorld Quest (Video Game)
Genre: Friend is missing? Time for Adventure!, Galleo just wants to go home, Gen, Oneshot, but somebody has to watch Armilly, written pre-release
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 20:10:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18350855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbuggbot/pseuds/sbuggbot
Summary: When the sun sets and Copernica hasn't come back from doing field studies in the forest, it's up to Armilly and (unwillingly) Galleo to go find her!





	The Missing Alchemist

**Author's Note:**

> This game doesn't even come out for another three weeks and I've already written fic for it. That's a first for me, hehe. Bear that in mind if you're reading this in the future; I don't know about any other heroes or major characters that would make sense to be involved here. Or if the characterization is a bit off--I've only seen so much of these heroes (especially Galleo).
> 
> Either way, enjoy!

“No one is allowed to leave town after sundown.”

“But Copernica hasn't come back yet! Can't you just let us through?” The alchemist had left for the forest not long after noon. She was usually back within a few hours, and always back by this time of night.

“Rules are rules. I can only make an exception for Guild members.”

Armilly put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. She was  _ kinda _ a Guild member! They just hadn't officially let her in yet. Or showed interest in her, really. But she was getting there, she felt.

Galleo was all too aware of the impression that Armilly usually left on people--that of an overgrown child running amok in a costume. The only one unaware of this was Armilly herself. Whether she was willfully ignorant of this or legitimately oblivious, he wasn't sure.

The Guild member wasn't buying into Armilly's little show. “If you're that worried about your friend, you can ask the Guild to send someone out. But no one's going to let you go out until sunrise.”

Armilly sighed and turned to trudge off.

“At least we tried…” Galleo said in an attempt at consolation. He was quietly glad that he hadn't been drug off on an adventure.

Then she perked up, a mischievous glint in her expression. “Come on,” she whispered, waving him over in another direction.

He stopped. “What? Armilly, what are you doing?”

“Come on!” She grabbed him by the arm and drug him to an unassuming section of the village barrier.

Galleo crossed his arms and tapped his foot. “What about it?”

“Look!” She pushed on the fence, revealing a sizable gap that someone could wiggle through and escape. Even if that someone wore bulky armor. 

“Eh? How did you know that was there?” It was a big gap, sure, but if you didn't poke at it then you'd have no way of knowing it was there.

“I made it,” Armilly said brightly. She climbed through. “Now come on, Copernica isn't gonna save herself.”

“Seriously?” Galleo muttered to himself. But he knew it wouldn't be a good idea to leave Armilly running alone at night, so he followed after her. So much for not getting dragged off on an adventure.   
  
  


_ “And so the heroes, having effortlessly thwarted the village guards, descend into the forest in search of their lost friend.” _

“Armilly, why…?” Galleo groaned. She was in one of her moods, it seemed.

“Visualizing is a vital part of being a proper hero!”

“Only you…” he muttered. He wasn't in the mood to argue with Armilly over that goofy book she'd had for years. “Bad enough I'm out and about at this hour,” he grumbled to himself. It was hard enough to get him out and about during the day.

 

They reached a clearing in the woods. “Hey, what happened here?” 

“A great battle, obviously!”

The grass and dirt were ripped up and turned over, more so than on the trails. There were even scorch marks around; evidence of someone using fire magic--someone skilled with fire magic, at that. Armilly began attempting to retrace what had happened, which might have been more enlightening if she hadn't been constantly mixing up footprints.

“Do you think that Copernica was here?” Galleo asked.

“Unless coglins learned fire magic.” She prodded at one of the scorch marks with her foot. Still warm, but not fresh. She told this to Galleo, who just sighed again. “Hey, at least we know she isn't on the other side of the forest, now.”   
  
  


Armilly was the one who got impatient first, however. “Where did she go? She couldn't have gone far!”

“Up here,” said another voice, from above. It spooked Armilly into going on guard, her visor down and her sword ready as she tried to place the voice. Galleo pointed up in the tree. There Copernica was, sitting on a branch and looking down at them. “Hey.”

Armilly put her visor up and looked up at Copernica, baffled. “What're you doing up there?”

“Coglins aren't very good climbers,” she said. “I'd be easy pickings if I stayed down there.”

“Why didn't you just come back home like a normal person?” Galleo asked.

“I would have if those critters hadn't messed up my leg. I'm lucky I managed to scare them off earlier, I can barely walk.” 

“And somehow climbing up a tree is still doable?”

Copernica produced a broad, flat rope, and Armilly added, “She knows how to climb ropes pretty easily.” 

The mage draped the rope over the branch and used it to slide down, the rope wrapped around her good leg for extra control. She grimaced as she landed on her hurt leg and would have lost her footing had she not been holding on still. “There's no way I'm going to be able to walk back,” she said, strained. Copernica had managed to ignore the pain earlier when she was fearing for her safety, but that wasn't the case now.

“One of us could carry you,” Galleo said.

“Not it!”

“I'll carry you back, I guess.” He let Copernica climb onto his back and let Armilly lead the way since she was unencumbered. Finally, Galleo was getting to go back home.

“Do you think that the Guild members will be impressed I rescued you?” Armilly asked.

“I think they'll be annoyed you snuck out again.”

Armilly didn't seem to mind that possibility.

_ “With their friend safely in tow, the victorious heroes begin their journey back home. Surely this will be an adventure to be remembered!” _

Copernica sighed and pushed her glasses up a bit to rub her eyes.


End file.
